[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-21490]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 31, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 63

[AD-FRL-5063-2]

 

Federal Standards for Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading 
Operations and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants 
for Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading Operations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On May 13, 1994 (57 FR 25004), the EPA proposed standards to 
regulate the emissions of volatile organic compounds VOC) and hazardous 
air pollutants (HAP) from new and existing marine tank vessel loading 
and unloading operations which are part of major sources under section 
112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The initial public comment period 
closed on July 18, 1994. On July 15, 1994, (59 FR 36130), the EPA 
proposed standards to regulate the emissions of HAP from petroleum 
refineries that are major sources under section 112 of the CAA. In the 
proposed rule for petroleum refineries, the EPA requested comments on 
the concept of expanding the petroleum refinery source category to 
include marine vessel loading and unloading operations subject to the 
requirements of section 112 of the CAA that occur at refineries. With 
this notice, the EPA reopens the comment period on the marine tank 
vessel loading and unloading operations to request comment on amending 
both the Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading and Petroleum 
Refinery source categories to move marine terminals collocated at 
refineries from the Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading source 
category to the Petroleum Refinery source category.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 30, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments. Comments should be submitted (in duplicate if 
possible) to the EPA's Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center 
(6102), ATTN: Docket Number A-90-44, Room M1500, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
    Dockets. The following dockets contain supporting information used 
in developing the proposed provisions. Docket Number A-90-44 contains 
general information used to characterize emissions and control costs 
for marine tank vessel loading and unloading operations and Docket A-
93-48 contains information on petroleum refineries. These dockets are 
available for public inspection and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 
p.m., Monday through Friday, at the EPA's Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center, Waterside Mall, Room M1500, 410 M Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20460. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
On technical issues, David Markwordt, Chemicals and Petroleum Branch, 
Emission Standards Division (MD-13), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle 
Park, North Carolina 27711, telephone number (919) 541-0837. For 
further information on the legal issue addressed in this notice, 
contact Michael S. Winer, Assistant General Counsel, Air and Radiation 
Division (2344), Office of General Counsel, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460, telephone number 
(202) 260-7606.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 13, 1994 (59 FR 25004), the EPA 
proposed standards to regulate the emissions of VOC and HAP from new 
and existing marine tank vessel loading and unloading operations which 
are part of major sources under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). 
The comment period on the proposed rule ended on July 18, 1994. This 
notice reopens the public comment period for the proposed rule. 
However, only comments limited to the subject described below will be 
considered at this time.
    The category of major sources for marine vessel loading and 
unloading operations includes marine terminals which emit chemicals 
listed under section 112 from the direct loading and unloading of bulk 
liquids from marine vessels at marine terminals. With the exception of 
offshore vessel-to-vessel bulk liquid transfer operations (i.e., 
lightering operations), all marine vessel terminals are included in the 
category of major sources for marine vessel loading and unloading 
operations. Marine vessel terminals collocated at refineries are not 
part of the petroleum refinery source category.
    In the petroleum refinery rule, the EPA is proposing that emissions 
averaging be allowed for miscellaneous process vents, storage tanks, 
and wastewater streams within petroleum refineries. The EPA requested 
comments on whether emissions averaging should be included in the final 
rule, and on specific features of the proposed emissions averaging 
provisions.
    The petroleum refinery proposed rule addresses only the 4 emission 
points in refinery operations. The EPA requested comments on the 
concept of expanding the petroleum refinery source category to include 
marine vessel loading and unloading operations subject to the 
requirements of section 112 that occur at refineries. The marine vessel 
requirements proposed for purposes of compliance with section 183(f), 
however, would remain unchanged. If the above change is made to the 
petroleum refinery source category, the source category currently 
listed in accordance with section 112(c) as Marine Tank Vessel Loading 
and Unloading Operations would be split into two parts--those which are 
collocated at refineries and those which are not. The ones collocated 
at refineries would be combined with and become part of the refinery 
source category. The source category list would be amended accordingly. 
The purpose would be to allow emissions averaging between the HAP 
emissions from marine vessel loading and unloading and the HAP 
emissions from the refinery emission points identified in the petroleum 
refinery rule as suitable for emissions averaging. It appears that in 
some cases, there may be opportunities to control some of these 
emission points (e.g. storage tanks) more cost-effectively than marine 
vessel loading and unloading operations. In other cases, it may be more 
cost effective to control marine vessel operation emissions than the 
refinery emission points. Integrating marine loading and unloading 
operations into the refinery category and utilizing emissions averaging 
may provide an opportunity for more emissions reductions at a lower 
cost than would occur if the categories remain separate. In addition, 
because of the 10 percent discount factor, additional emissions 
reduction will be achieved if emissions averaging is used.
    If the suggested approach were adopted, the limitations of the 
proposed emissions averaging provisions included in the petroleum 
refinery proposal would also apply to the loading and unloading 
operations. With regard to calculating the emissions for purposes of 
averaging, the May 13 marine vessel operations proposal included 
procedures for determining HAP emissions from marine vessel loading 
operations for purposes of determining applicability of the rule; the 
EPA solicited comment on these procedures. These emission estimating 
procedures will also be considered for the purpose of emission 
averaging. The promulgation date, and thus the compliance date, for the 
marine vessel loading and unloading standard is currently expected to 
be earlier than the petroleum refinery standard. The EPA requests 
comments on whether and how these compliance dates should be made 
consistent, and what legal factors should be considered.
    The EPA's database which serves as the basis for the May 13 
proposed rule for marine vessels does not identify which loading and 
unloading operations occur at refineries as opposed to other types of 
plants. However, the EPA has no data to indicate that marine vessel 
loading operations at refineries are dissimilar to marine vessel 
loading operations located at other facilities or that their control 
levels differ. Therefore, the EPA anticipates that the floors for 
neither the petroleum refinery nor the marine vessel rules would be 
affected by redefining the source categories as described.
    If the EPA expands the refinery source category to include marine 
vessel loading and unloading operations, loading operations at 
refineries would have an opportunity to average emissions and reduce 
costs. In addition, they would be required to achieve additional 
emission reductions in accordance with the 10 percent discount 
requirement contained in the emissions averaging provisions. Loading 
operations that stand alone would not have this same opportunity to 
reduce costs. Public comment is solicited on the magnitude of these 
impacts and the appropriateness of this distinction.
    Some marine terminals handle products with low concentrations of 
HAP's but high concentrations of non-HAP VOC. In such circumstances, it 
may be cost-effective to forego control of HAP's from marine terminals 
by over controlling HAP's from another emission point. If, however, the 
emission point being controlled does not offset the non-HAP VOC 
foregone by not controlling the marine terminals, a net increase in 
non-HAP VOC could result. The EPA solicits comments on what 
considerations should be given to this type of situation in deciding to 
combine marine terminals and refineries for the purpose of emission 
averaging.
    The EPA requests comment on the extent to which emissions averaging 
between marine vessel loading and unloading operations and other 
refinery operations could result in exposure spikes. This could occur 
if batch emission streams were left uncontrolled in exchange for 
control of continuous emission streams, or vice versa.
    The EPA also requests that commenters submit data on possible 
emission factors and/or alternative emission calculation procedures for 
marine vessel operations for consideration in the final rule.

    Dated: August 24, 1994.
Mary Nichols,
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 94-21490 Filed 8-30-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P